Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has announced he will resign from the National Party, signalling a dramatic shift in Australian conservative politics and deepening divisions within the Coalition over the government’s support for Net Zero emissions.
In a letter addressed to party members on Saturday, Mr Joyce declared that his continued membership of the Nationals had become “untenable” due to the Coalition’s backing of Net Zero policies, which he claims have caused “hurt to small business, the environment, the poor, and the defence of Australia”.
“Our position in continuing to support Net Zero with the massive schism and hurt to my electorate, to small business, the environment, to the poor, to the defence of Australia and creating hate between lifelong friends in my community makes continuing in the Nationals’ Party Room in Canberra under this policy untenable,” he wrote.
Mr Joyce, who represents the seat of New England, also revealed that his relationship with party leadership had “irreparably broken down”, comparing it to “a sadness in some marriages.”
He further criticised internal decisions that restricted his campaigning to New England during the last election and accused the party of sidelining him for “generational change.”
“I am seated in the far corner of the Coalition in the chambers, seen as a discordant note. That is not who I want to be,” he added.
The outspoken MP confirmed he will not recontest his seat at the next federal election, leaving open the possibility of joining Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party.
Hanson, speaking from Joyce’s hometown of Tamworth today, tried to encourage him to make the move to her party.
“Barnaby, I’ll open the doors for you. Come across to One Nation,” she told 9News.
“Barnaby is more aligned with One Nation than what he is with the Nationals Party.”
Mr Joyce’s departure poses a serious challenge for Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and Nationals Leader David Littleproud, who are already grappling with internal fractures over energy and immigration policy, as well as speculation about a new centre-right political formation.
One Coalition MP described “profound disappointment” at Mr Joyce’s move, saying he was tarnishing his legacy. Another accused party leaders of “complete and utter failure,” while a third called the resignation “another scalp for the moderates.”
Recruiting Joyce would be a major boost for One Nation, whose support has risen since the May 3 election, according to recent polls. If he joins, it would give the party its first seat in the House of Representatives since Pauline Hanson’s tenure in Blair (1996–1998).
Mr Joyce, long one of the most recognisable figures in Australian politics, leaves behind a legacy of populist conservatism, outspoken climate scepticism, and a career defined by both controversy and resilience.
